A compendium of musical delights by Alan and Margaret Ashworth
This was written by Barrett Strong, Cornelius Grant and Rodger Penzabene and appeared on the group’s 1967 album Everybody Needs Love. As a single it only got to No 98 in … Continue readingGladys Knight and the Pips: Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me
From an exhaustive, eight-hour-plus compilation of Bert’s BBC performances which is repetitive but well worth exploring.
SHEEP of the Week takes over the top spot today. Readers may have seen a news item last week concerning a flock which have acquired pink hairdos. The story was that … Continue readingPulling the wool over our eyes
This terrific song was written by Eddy Arnold and Cindy Walker, and first released by Arnold in 1956. Another version by Jerry Vale the same year was the first to … Continue readingRay Charles: You Don’t Know Me
Back to Trinidad for this Allen Toussaint cover from 1972’s magnificent Discover America.
One of my favourite Dylan songs, and to think it was dropped from the 1975 Desire album to make way for the somewhat dreary Joey. It did not emerge until … Continue readingBob Dylan: Abandoned Love
Last one from the Esso boys – a lovely version of Saint Saens’s tune from his hit album Carnival of the Animals.
FOR most of my life I have suffered from vertigo and claustrophobia, both of which can be traced to the same fortnight in 1970. In the summer of our fourth … Continue readingTwo phobias for the price of one
A good question. A third selection from the fabulous Esso boys.
This was recorded in 1980, a long time after my usual 50s and 60s choices, but it’s classic pop to me. Lovely stuff. Like all their songs the track was … Continue readingAbba: The Winner Takes It All